Mechanical stoker for locomotives.



D. F. CRAWFORD.`

MEGHANIGAL STOKBR FOR LoGoMoTIVEs.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 3, 1908.

Patented Nov. so, 1909.

\ 2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

Illa

INVENTOR j//mf citlzen of the United' State of Pennsylvania,

UNITED sTArEs PATENT oFFIoE.

DAVID FRANCIS CRAWFORD, OF PITTSBUBG, PENNSYLVANIA.

MECHANICAL STOKER FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov: 3o,` 1909.

I Application led AOctober 3, 1908. Serial No. 456,087.

To all whom 'it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, DAvn) F. CRAWFORD, a States, residing at Pittsburg, inthe county of Allegheny and have invented certain new and'useful Improvements in Mechanical Stokers forv Locomotives, ofwhich the following is a s ecication. I

@TheM invention reates Vto staking-.mechanism of the under-feed type for locomotives', andhas for its princl vprovision of an im roved eed mechanism which may be app ied to the majority of. locomotives as now constructed and without interference with structural features'pf the locomotives and the provisionv of improved means for secur-l mg p roper upward feed from the trough.

Qertaln embodiments of the invention are lllustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein L `Figure-1 isa central longitudinal section through the lire box and stoker, l

Figure 2 is a partial end elevation and partial section on the line II*II of Figure 1, and shows the the feeding device at the end of the lire- Figure 3 is a partial. lngitudinal section similar to, that of Figure 1, but Showing a slight-ly modified form of trough construc- A tion. l

The general construction of the furnace follows that shown and described in-my co'- pending Iapplication,

Serial No. 387 ,297, but differs therefrom in the mechanism for securing the feed to the trough and `in the much of the lire-box construction of the trough itself. Only 'so and other locomoti\'e parts is shown as is lthe location of the Stoker and its operating mechanism. l

- to that shown and Referring to the drawings, 1 isthe irebox of the locomotive, 2 is the feed trough extending alon the center of the furnace, 3 is one ofthe si e grates, similar in construction described in 'detail in my cro-pending application referred to, and 4 is a drop grate extending transversely across the front end of the furnace. l

One of the features of m linvention resides in the mechanism for ceding the coal to the trough 2, and this mechanism will now be described in detail. By reference to Figures 1 and 2, it will be noted that a hopper 5 is provided at the front end of the fural objects: the I ort change in the` other operating' mechanism for hump 21. A

necessary to indicate p or passage 6, such feed passage being in ahnement with the end of the trough 2.

The fuel. for the furnace is introduced into the hopper 5 and is fed step-by-step through the passa e 6 by means of a reciprocatory feed member 7 slidably mounted in the feed passage. The feed member 7' is provided with a transversely extending shaft 8, which shaft carries a cross head 9 mounted in the slots 10 atthe sides of the passageway 6. The sides of the cylinder are provided with the rearwardly extending guide members 22 lying above the usual cou ler head 23. The source of motive power ihr reciprocating the feed member 7 is the steam cylinder 11 mounted at the side of the fire-,box as indicated in Figures 1 and 2. The piston of this cylinder carries pivoted thereto a rod 12, whicherod is pivoted at its outer end to a crank 13 keyed to the shaftll. This shaft extends transversely across the front of the fire-box' and carries the cranks 15-15, which cranks are connected to the shaft 8 carried by the feedmember 7 by meansjof the links 16.

The fuel-in the trough 2 isfagitatedto' promember 17 mounted? upon the reciprocating lrod i18, which rodflvSJ- is moved from the 'shaft 14 by means of a crank 19 and connecting link 20. The aA -tating member 17 may be placed at any esired the rod 18. As indicated in F1 re 1, the bottom of the trough 2 is rovitgi-d with 'a The purpose o lthis hump or projection is to loosen the mass of material 1n the trough and promote au upward feed so that a suflicient body of coal will be spread laterally over the side grate at this ortion of the furnace.' The number and ocation of the humps may be varied to suit conditions.

It will be seen from the'foregoingdescri ption of the operating mechanism that very little space adjacent the front of the lire-box is occupied by such mechanism` and that. the device may be applied readily to the standard type o locomotive. The c linder 11 is readily accessible at the side ofy the fire-box and plenty of Space is available at this point without interference with other of the locomotiae parts.. Furthermore, by this arran ement plenty of clearance is available in t e cab lmmediately behind the feeding mechanism,

.which clearance `is necessary 1n nearly all locomotlves of standpoint along absolutely mote its upward feeding by means of a y ard construction. One advantage in shortcontinuations of the first guide slots,

ening the cylinder 6 and employing the rearwardly extendin guide members 22, is that the coupler hea 23 is made accessible from above and the `pin employed may be readily removed between the members 22. The cross head 9 prevents any twisting of the feed member 7 and permits such member to be made shorter than would be 1the case if no guiding cross head wereemployed.

The construction shown in Figure 3 is the same-as that ofFigures l and 2 with the exception that-the hump in the bottom of the `feed trough is omittedand a member 17 is substituted therefor',vwhich member is se- -curedto the rod 18.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is the following l. The combination of a -locomotive furnace, an under-feed trou h extending into the furnace, a feed cylinder located at the rear of the trough and provided in its sides with guide slots, guide members extending rearwardly from the opposite sides of the cylinder and provided with slots formin afeecgl piston in the cylinder, a cross-head secured to the piston fitting the guide slots, cra-nk arms secured to the cross-head on oppositel sides of the cylinder, and means for oscillating the crank arms.

2. The combination of a locomotivefurnace, an under-feed trough extending into the furnace, a feed cylinder located at the rear of the trough and provided in its sides with guide slots, a feed piston in the cylinder, a cross-head secured to the rear portion of the piston and extendin through the slots, a transverse shaft provi ed with crank arms on opposite sides of the cylinder with their upper ends in front of the cross-head, connecting links extending from the crosshead to the ends of the cranks, an o erating crank arm located adjacent the en of the transverse shaft and a motor connected to such `last crank arm for oscillating it.

3. TheV combination of a locomotive fur.

nace, an under-feed trough extending into the furnace, afeed cylinder located at the rear of the trough and provided in its sides with guide slots, a piston mounted in the cylinder, a cross-head fitting the slots, a

transverse shaft beneath the cylinder, an f operating motor located atthe side of the tire-box and having connections with the shaft for oscillating it, and a crank atthe side of the cylinder and having operative connection wit'll the cross-head and with the shaft.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of the two subscribed witnesses.

DAVID FRANCIS CRVFORD. lVitnesses PAUL SYNNns'rvnn'r, ARuIiWoR'rI-r MARTIN. 

